Part III - Chapter II Practice Quiz — Crime and Punishment
by Fyodor Dostoevsky — tap or click to flip
Practice Quiz: Part III - Chapter II
What is Razumihin doing when Part III, Chapter II opens?
He wakes at eight o'clock, troubled and ashamed of his drunken behavior the previous night, particularly his jealous attacks on Luzhin and his conduct toward Dunya.
What does Razumihin do to the kitchen stove and why?
He brings his fist down heavily on it in frustration over his shameful behavior, hurting his hand and sending a brick flying.
What does Zossimov report about Raskolnikov's condition?
He says Raskolnikov is sleeping like a dormouse, gives orders not to wake him, and warns about his monomaniac tendencies related to the murders and the painters.
How do Pulcheria Alexandrovna and Dunya greet Razumihin when he arrives at their lodgings?
Far more warmly than he expected—Pulcheria Alexandrovna seizes both his hands, and Dunya shows gratitude and friendliness instead of the contempt he feared.
What does Razumihin spend three-quarters of an hour doing at the Bakaleyev lodgings?
Describing Raskolnikov's life over the past year to his mother and sister, including his illness, but omitting the scene at the police station.
What does Luzhin's letter demand regarding the evening meeting?
That Raskolnikov must not be present, threatening to leave immediately if he appears. Luzhin also insinuates that Raskolnikov gave money to a woman "of notorious behaviour."
How does Dunya respond to Luzhin's letter?
She insists that Raskolnikov must attend the meeting at eight o'clock, directly opposing Luzhin's demand—overriding her mother's wish to comply.
Why does Razumihin refuse to shave before visiting the women?
He fears they would think he shaved on purpose to impress Dunya, declaring "Not on any account!" He wants to avoid any appearance of calculated grooming.
How does Razumihin publicly change his opinion of Luzhin in this chapter?
He retracts his drunken insults, saying he can have "no other opinion" of Dunya's future husband than respect, and blames his previous comments on being "disgustingly drunk and mad."
What observation does Razumihin make about Dunya's appearance despite her poverty?
He notices her gloves have holes and her dress is thin and dark, yet both women carry themselves with "special dignity"—he thinks of "the queen who mended her stockings in prison."
What does Pulcheria Alexandrovna reveal about Raskolnikov's past romantic life?
She tells Razumihin that Raskolnikov once planned to marry his landlady's daughter—a sickly, ugly girl with no money—and nothing could dissuade him, though the girl died before the wedding.
What does Pulcheria Alexandrovna dream about at the end of the chapter?
She dreams of the recently dead Marfa Petrovna, who appeared "all in white," took her hand, and shook her head sternly, as though blaming her.
How does Razumihin's description of Raskolnikov develop the novel's theme of duality?
He says Raskolnikov alternates "between two characters"—noble and kind on one hand, cold and "inhumanly callous" on the other—prefiguring the psychological duality at the novel's core.
How does Luzhin's letter illustrate the theme of manipulation through propriety?
He uses elaborately formal language and polite conventions to issue an ultimatum, spy on Raskolnikov's movements, and guilt-trip Pulcheria Alexandrovna about money—all while maintaining the veneer of a respectful gentleman.
What does the contrast between Razumihin and Luzhin represent thematically?
Razumihin embodies sincere, clumsy devotion while Luzhin represents calculated, self-serving control. Their rivalry over Dunya dramatizes the conflict between genuine love and transactional marriage.
How does poverty function as a theme in this chapter?
The shabby lodgings, worn gloves with holes, and dirty waiter all emphasize the family's dire circumstances, yet both Dunya and her mother maintain their dignity—showing that poverty constrains but does not define character.
What narrative technique does Dostoevsky use in Razumihin's morning monologue?
Free indirect discourse—the narrator's voice blends with Razumihin's frantic internal thoughts, creating an intimate view of his self-criticism without formal quotation.
What is the dramatic irony in Zossimov and Razumihin's discussion of Raskolnikov's "monomania"?
They discuss his obsessive reaction to the murders as a symptom of mental illness, not knowing that Raskolnikov committed the murders himself—his agitation comes from guilt, not paranoia.
What does Dunya's gold watch symbolize in this chapter?
The expensive gold enamelled watch, a gift from Luzhin, looks "entirely out of keeping" with her poor dress. It symbolizes the fundamental mismatch of their engagement—wealth imposed upon a woman whose values are incompatible with her benefactor's.
What does Razumihin mean when he calls his dream "hopelessly unattainable"?
He means his romantic feelings for Dunya are impossible to fulfill—he considers himself too coarse and low to be worthy of her, and recognizes the social gulf between them.
What is a "monomaniac" in the context of this chapter?
A person obsessively fixated on one idea or topic. Zossimov uses it to describe Raskolnikov's abnormal preoccupation with the murders, warning that such people "will make a mountain out of a mole-hill."
What does "self-abasement" mean as Razumihin uses it?
The act of humbling or degrading oneself. Razumihin feels self-abasement when reflecting on his drunken behavior, believing his actions were base and beneath him.
Who says "He loves no one and perhaps he never will" and about whom?
Razumihin says this about Raskolnikov to Dunya and Pulcheria Alexandrovna, declaring it "decisively" when asked whether Raskolnikov is capable of love.
What does Razumihin think when he observes Dunya in her worn clothes?
"The queen who mended her stockings in prison must have looked then every inch a queen and even more a queen than at sumptuous banquets and levées."—reflecting his reverence for her dignity in poverty.